Prasar Bharati has an extensive network for terrestrial transmission with more than 1400 transmitters. TRAI has asked Prasar Bharati to move over to Digital Terrestrial Transmission by 2023 and close down analogue transmission by then. You would appreciate that while satellite transmission has evolved as a major technology and is preferred over terrestrial transmission, in the event of cyber warfare etc, the satellite transmission can be jammed and disrupted. As such no country in the world has totally stopped terrestrial transmission, even while encouraging satellite transmission.

However, Prasar Bharati has recently taken a decision to close down 272 Low Power TV centers operating in the analogue mode. Kerala has only 14 such relay centers. Considering the strategic importance of terrestrial transmission network, closing down analogue network without putting the digital network in place may not be a desirable option.

In the above context, I request you to kindly arrange to expedite the rollout of digital terrestrial transmission network and take steps to move the analogue transmission network on to the new technology platform. It is requested that the analogue Low Power TV Relay Centers may not be closed down till this process is completed. As and when the digital transmission network is put in place the infrastructure available at the analogue terrestrial transmission centers may be appropriately leveraged to set up an effective FM radio network in the State.

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Shri Pinarayi Vijayan has been elected in the 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly elections held on 16th May 2016 from Dharmadom constituency with a margin of 36,905 votes.
He is a member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Earlier he had served as Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI (M) from 1998 to 2015.